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AzHunter_15

Double opening day success

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Headed down Wednesday for the hunt. Messed around on Wednesday shootin some ducks off ponds and looking for new terrain for my dads buddy coming down to hunt with us. Unfortunately he called and was not going to be able to make it due to work opening morning so pops and I really were going to push hard to get our bucks opening morning so that we could take him in with us where we knew there was deer.  Thursday morning we went in to where we knew there were some deer and some pretty decent bucks and found them after a little bit of glassing. About 35 mph winds didn’t make it easy to glass so we couldn’t quite tell how big the bucks were we just knew there were some shooters. Friday morning rolls around and we get to the top off the hill we were gonna glass off where we had left the deer Thursday night. Found them about 8 o’clock about a mile from the previous night. Dropped down into the flat and head to a point we knew we were going to Been within a couple hundred yards of the herd. Got to where we could see them through the trees about 150 yards and got set up for a shot through a little gap. We knew one of the nicer bucks was in there for sure. I was set up watching does cross through this opening waiting for him to walk by when I hear my dad say “your buck just came out 25 yard to the left”. (He looked bigger through the spotter so wanted I target him we just did not think he was in the group from Wednesday). So I swung around put the crosshairs on him and pulled the trigger at 118 yards. He hunched up and did some spins then went down so I pulled out my binos to find the other bucks for my dad. He ran about 100 yards and turned back. Ranged him at 219 and BOOM! Pops makes a good shot and he falls. What a thrill!!!We gave them some time then walked up on our 2019 bucks. 398BCD7A-7483-4234-8A9B-155D21C929B8.thumb.png.be852376bf2eca3650dc1812bab09909.png

Still haven’t put a tape on them yet but it turns out the one I wanted might have been a little smaller than my dad but we will see. Bob(dads buddy) pulls in to camp just in time to make the evening hunt. We get out and spot the deer pretty far out with not much daylight left so we decide to pull out and come back in the morning. Saturday morning get to the same hillside to glass out as Friday morning and we find them again. This time we see some about 2000 yards out and as we’re watching them a group of 3 does and 2 younger bucks come running about 100 yards to the right of us straight up the mountain. We get set up for a shot and bob makes a great 101 yard shot and drops the deer in his tracks. It was hit first deer ever and what a thrill to be there with him! AA33C479-CA49-4C47-95B6-49696F632C45.jpeg.9663e3a86c2188a87d4d5d6b78264cdc.jpeg

spent the rest of the day getting some more quail and ducks but all around it was a great hunt and great memories I’ll cherish forever. Best of luck to the rest of the 2019 hunters out there! 

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Anyone ever seen an elk in unit 31 down in the desert? Found this shed near a pond along with this 4 1/2 foot rattler that’ll fry up good for some nuggets!! 

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Congrats well done

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I’ve seen elk tracks low on Mt Graham but never an actual elk. Really cool find. Good for you!

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Wow awesome man congrats. I thought you were in southern units until I saw the elk shed! Turns out you were in a southern unit! I know a couple people that have seen elk right off I 10 around Wilcox.   Another buddy saw some right outside of Bowie.  They are there just few and far between and hard to find. Congrats on a great hunt.

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Thanks for sharing. Years ago we seen an elk in the apple orchards and a year later a black bear. Miss hunting that unit. I took my biggest mulie back in 1995 in 31.

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